A recent study reveals that the Southwest region of the U.S. may experience megadrought, which may last for over 30 years.
Global warming is believed to be the cause of various climatic changes throughout the world. Researchers at the Cornell University reveal that global warming may take a toll on the Southwest area of the U.S., as there are about 20 percent to 50 percent chances of megadrought in the next century.
The researchers say that till mid-August this year, California has experienced severe drought and climatologists are not sure if the condition will improve in the near term. The research reveals that the extreme condition in Southwest U.S. is just a preview of how global warming is responsible for climatic changes on the planet.
"For the southwestern U.S., I'm not optimistic about avoiding real megadroughts," says Toby Ault, Cornell assistant professor of earth and atmospheric sciences and lead author of the paper. "As we add greenhouse gases into the atmosphere - and we haven't put the brakes on stopping this - we are weighting the dice for megadrought conditions."
Ault also suggests that states in the west and Southwest U.S. should understand the long-term effects of the megadrought and draw strategies, which will help them cope with and survive severe drought scenarios. Ault reveals that the megadrought is estimated to be the worst people have ever witnessed in the last 2,000 years. The drought may present challenges to the region's water resources, which is an important survival element.
The study indicates that even though states like Arizona, California and New Mexico are likely to face drought, other states like Idaho, Washington and Montana may encounter decreased drought by comparison.
The latest research suggests that the effects of global warming will be seen in other parts of the world as well. According to the research, southern Africa, the Amazon basin and Australia are also some regions that may experience megadrought.
According to a previous report, businesses and government agencies should understand and estimate the implications of climate changes and increase in weather. Increase in temperature in the Southwest, Midwest and Southeast U.S. may make it difficult for people to work in outdoor jobs such as the construction industry. Moreover, some regions may even get worse and may become totally unsuitable for outdoor work.
The study will be published in the upcoming issue of the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate.
